Redirecting the transit traffic heading towards Žilina outside of the Bratislava residential area will gradually contribute to easing the traffic situation on the D1 detour branch in the direction out of Bratislava.
“It is not only about the traffic situation in Bratislava, it is also a question of the quality of life in Bratislava. Redirecting the transit traffic aims to increase safety and reduce the negative impact of traffic such as noise, dust and air pollution on the city's residents”, noted Mr. Jozef Ráž, the Minister of Transport of the Slovak Republic.
Redirecting the transit traffic that is only passing through Bratislava is possible thanks to investments into constructing the D1/D4 intersection. In December 2024, NDS put into operation the branches of the D1 and D4 motorways near Bratislava that enable the vehicles to connect directly from the D4 in Jarovce to the D1 motorway direction Trnava and vice versa, from the D1 from Trnava to the D4 motorway.
Thanks to putting these new motorway branches into operation, the D4/R7 bypass is already nowadays absorbing the entire year-on-year increase in freight traffic, which would otherwise put even more strain on the Prístavný Bridge in Bratislava. In comparison with the period before the D1/D4 intersection was put into operation, Bratislava is now relieved from around 570 transiting trucks that were passing daily through the residential area of the city.
According to the newly introduced road traffic rules, only the commercial vehicles weighing over 3,5t supplying goods to the residential area can use the Prístavný Bridge. The transit traffic is redirected from the D2 motorway (Pečňa – Petržalka) to the D4 and then from the D4 to the D1 motorway via the newly opened branch at the D1/D4 intersection.
“The new road traffic signs were installed at night when the traffic volume in this section is not that high. We managed to install over 55 traffic signs without substantial traffic restrictions. The redirection of transit traffic from the Prístavný Bridge will from now on remain a permanent solution,” said Mr. Filip Macháček, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the National Motorway Company.
The transit traffic is redirected from the residential areas of most European big cities in order to increase road traffic safety and reduce negative impacts of traffic on residents.